Fire Pro Wrestling 2 is the follow-up to the original game that made its debut at the same time the GBA was launched almost a year and a half ago.  This revision of the game offers the same solid wrestling dynamics, extensive list of fighters, and a diverse catalog of cool wrestling maneuvers that made the first game so successful.  Developer, Spike, did little to innovate over the original foundation of the game, which may be a good or bad thing depending on how much you enjoyed the first title.  While fans of the original game will certainly find a lot to like with this feature-rich sequel, newcomers to the series will undoubtedly appreciate it the most. 

Getting the hang of Fire Pro’s wrestling gameplay mechanics will initially take some getting used to, but once you are adequately familiar with the play control it will become apparent that no other wrestling game on the GBA can compare to the amount of depth offered in this title.  Each wrestler has 40 or more unique moves, all of which can be performed with ease despite the GBA’s limited face-buttons.  The way this works is that the same button can be used to execute different moves depending on the current circumstances the button is used in.  For instance, pressing B when you are face-to-face with an opponent will result in a standard punch, but hitting B when you are standing over a wrestler on the ground will allow you to stand the character up on his feet. 

The majority of moves are based on hitting a button while holding the D-pad in a particular direction.  This gameplay element is only applicable when you are grappling, by moving your character shoulder-to-shoulder with the opponent you will automatically begin a grapple.  The maneuvers that your fighter will execute depends largely on his fighting style.  A myriad of fighting styles are included in Fire Pro Wrestling 2 and there are over 1,200 attacks from all the styles combined.  Keep in mind though that timing is absolutely crucial to successfully pulling off an attack.  If your timing is off then you will jeopardize your opportunity to lay some smack down on the opponent.  Also, attempting a particularly damaging maneuver on a fighter that is not wore down enough will also, more often than not, result in a counterattack.  Before devastating attacks are feasible you need to methodically chip away at the opponent, button-mashing is definitely not recommended.

There are a healthy amount of game modes to choose from which considerably prolong the lasting appeal of Fire Pro.  Exhibition mode allows you to compete in a quick match either against the computer or a human opponent.  In Exhibition you can choose from one of four match types: Normal, Deathmatch, Gruesome, and Battle Royal.  In Normal type all standard rules apply, a submission or successful three-count will win you the match.  Deathmatch takes place in a four-side electrified ring that causes damage if touched, the only way to win in this type is by submission or knock-out.  Gruesome is identical to that of Deathmatch, minus the electrified ring.  Battle Royal is the most frantic mode, four fighters will simultaneously duke it out, this match type is particularly suited for multiplayer action.

Exhibition mode is great for some quick action but the meat of the game is found in the Ironman Road mode.  Ironman Road allows you to participate in various tournaments to progress and unlock new wrestlers.  The various modes of play are all included in the Ironman Road and you must pass a set of five matches per match type through four progressing levels of difficulty to complete the game.  Doing this will take more than a few hours so the included battery back-up save feature is a welcomed addition.  There is also a 10-person battle royal mode that can be unlocked upon completion of Ironman mode.

Graphically, Fire Pro does an adequate job of purporting a realistic fighting presentation but the visuals are nowhere near impressive.  While the characters and environments are composed of bright and colorful sprites the game looks like something out of the early 16-bit era.  But considering the sheer variety of fighters, costumes, and attack animations this should come as no surprise.  The audio presentation is nothing to write home about either, the music is eerily similar to that of Wrestlemania for the NES, though it is often drowned out by the artificial roar of the crowd.  The lack of aural niceties is somewhat disappointing but in actuality the game hardly suffers because of it, after all, it’s the gameplay mechanics that really make this game shine, not the sound effects.

The featured edit mode is perhaps the most impressive facet of the game with customization options so varied that it is not hard to spend hours just tweaking and modifying your fighter.  You are allowed to choose from a wide assortment of character appearances, fighting styles, stamina attributes, not to mention the ability to select from 1,200+ moves.  Surprisingly the game allows you to create up to 77 characters before all the allotted space is used up.

Overall, Fire Pro Wrestling 2 is a great game that could have been better if it wasn’t so similar to the original title.  Don’t get me wrong, the first game was awesome, and this one is just as good, but if you’ve already played Fire Pro Wrestling then this title doesn’t bring much new stuff to the table.  The new game modes and extensive customization options will keep you busy for quite some time though, and for some people those things might be enough to warrant a purchase, but chances are you’ll be better off if you give this game a rental before making any final purchasing decisions.

Gameplay: 8.3
Expect to invest an hour or two in order to fully grasp the play control system, while the gameplay is fairly intuitive it does require precision timing in order to progress in the more challenging difficulty levels.  The fact that Spike was able to integrate over 1,200 moves using only four buttons and a D-pad is very impressive and even more so considering how easy they are to pull off once you are familiar with the fighting dynamics.

Graphics: 6.2
Character models are simple yet relatively unique, there are hundreds upon hundreds of different fighter combinations in this game.  The visual presentation could have benefited from a few bells and whistles like cut-scenes in the mission mode or cooler fighter entrances but as it stands it gets the job done.

Sound: 5.2
It seems the developer’s focus was lost on the sound department, or maybe the tons of customization options forbid the use of lots of high-quality sound additions.  Either way this game won’t be winning any awards based solely on its aural presentation.

Difficulty: Medium
The game is easy enough as you begin but progressing into the harder difficulty settings will prove to be a daunting task for beginners. 

Concept: 7.6
The concept of a wrestling game that isn’t restricted by a popular license or real-life personalities is a great idea.  Bam! was able to create a genuinely original experience with this series without the use of franchise gimmickry. 

Multiplayer: 7.8

Playing against human opponents is the best way to get the most bang for your buck on this game.  Unfortunately, every player needs to own a copy of the game which is somewhat suspicious considering the undemanding audio/visual requirements.

Overall: 8.1
As far as wrestling games on the GBA go you really can’t do better than this.  The gameplay mechanics simulate the real-life wrestling theatrics on TV and the create-a-player mode is the most extensive customization system I’ve seen in any wrestling game, GBA or otherwise.  If you haven’t played the first game than do yourself a favor and check this one out.